Edwin b



@auch gister @stent @fitta Letters Patent No. 82,881, dated October 6,1868.-

IMPROVBD RAILROAD-RAIL.

dlgs tlget'nle feierten tu it time ttttets tttnt mit mating putt tt tip texmf.

TO ALL WHOM IT MAYCONCERN:

Be itknowvn that I, EDwIN`R. SHEPARD, of Scranton, Luzerne county, Pennsylvania, have invented an Improved Compound` Rail; and I do hereby declare the following to be a' full, clear, and exact description of the same.

My invention consists of a compound rail, composed of two sections, constructed and adapted to each other, substantially as described hereafter, so 'that the pressure and'shocks imparted to the rail will tendA to bind the. two sections more iirmly together, both vertically and laterally.

My invention further consists in a molde, described hereafter, of securing the -two sections together, whereby the upper section is maintained in the position to which it`may have' been depressed. l

In order to enable others skilled in the art to make and'apply my invention, I will now proceed to describe its construction and operation, reference being had to the accompanying drawing, which forms a part of this specification, and in which- Figure 1 is a sectional view of my improved compoundv rail, and

Figure 2 the same, showing the manner of securing vthe two sections ofthe rail together. i

A is the upper, and B the lower section ofthe rail, the two combined being in form nearly similar to that of an ordinary rail. i s A The upper section, A, consists ofthe tread, a, of theusual shape, and the rib b, the section B consisting of the rib d and two flanges, e and e.

The line rc, which represents the junction of the rib b of the upper section with the rib d ofthe lower section, should be vertical, or very nearly so, and the upper end, z', of the rib d, must Abe rounded to conform 'to the hollow, t", which occurs at the junction ofthe rib b with the tread ofthe upper section of the rail.

vThe rib 6 is thicli'er below than above, its side, m, being `inclined, and the lower end of the rib is bevelled outwards at n, to conform to the inclination, n,'formed on-thelower section, B, of the rail, as shown inithe drawing. The extreme lower end, p, of the rib b, is made straight, and is always at a short distance from the straight termination p ofthe inclination 1t ofthe section B.

The two sections areesecured together by bolts D, arranged at suitable distances apart, each bolt having an inclined head, tocont'orm to the inclinedside m of the rib b, and being provided with a. key,.y,'i.or its equivalex-it. Whileveach bolt may lit tightly in the ribY d of the section B, the hole for its reception inthe rib b of the section 'A should be larger than the bolt, for a purpose rendered apparent hereafter.

It will be observed that there are two points where the upper bears against the lower section, the upper point being where the hollow, t", bears against the rounded upper end of the rib'd, and the vlower point where the inclined end n ofthe rib b bears upon the inclination 1t of the section B. n

The better to illustrate my invention, I will 'refer to the diagram, Figure 3, in which two metal bars, M, and M', are bolted together, thehorizontal rib t of therst bar being supposed to bear on the vertical rib of the bar M', and the vertical rib oi" the bar M being supposed to rest on the horizontal rib't of the bar M.

Supposing a pressure in the-direction of the arrow to be imparted to these combined bars, the bearing of the upper againstrthe lower bar would be at one pointonly, owing to the dithcult-y in practice of making perfectly-iittingVj/oints at both points; but if the upper edge of the vertical rib of the bar M be rounded and adapted to the hollow under side of the horizontal rio of the bar M, as' seen in Figure 4,and a .pressure,be imparted in the direction ofthe arrow, asfoefore, their the upper bearing must yield, the upper bar seeking the lower positive bearing.

This is precisely the principle upon vwhich my invention is based, as will be readily understood on referring i to tig. 1, the upper bearing of the upper section against the lower section of the'rail being of a character to f `yield, should the lower end ot the rib b' not be in closely-fitting contact with the 'lower bearing; hence in all ,cases there is a certainty of the lipper section :o f the rail bearing on the lower section at the desired point.

This yielding of the upper joint will Vtake place, to a very limited extent, of course, in spite of the bolts D, nd will have the same' eifect as that of tightening the bolts and securing the two sections more firmly together.

It will thusbe seen that the act of forcing the upper section firmly down to its lower bearing, serves, at

the same time, to bind the two sections more rmly together.

The inclined head :d of the bolt serves, in conjunction with the inclined side of the rib b, the important duty of keeping the upper section down to its lower bearing, without interfering with the downward movement ofthe rail, a. result which, it will be apparent, cannot he accomplished in the ordinary compoundl rails wherethe head of the bolt bears against the inclined or straight side of the rib on the lower section, and consequently serves no other purpose than to hold the two rails together laterally.

' I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patenti 1. A rail, consisting of two sections, .A B, the former having an inclined bearing below the head, adapted to the inclined edge of a rib on the lower section, and the latter having at the base an inclined bearing for the rib on the upper section, substantially as and for the purpose described.

2. The lower section B, with its rib d, the upper section A, with its slotted rib b inclined at the outer side,

and the bolt D, with its head bearing against the inclined side of the rib the whole being constructed and arranged substantially as and for the purpose specified.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specication in the presence of two subscribing Witnesses.

E. R. SHEPARD.

Witnesses:

Jouw WHITE, C. B. PRICE.` 

